Melbourne OKs purchase of fire truck with 95-foot ladder

City plans to pay almost $1 million

2:05 AM,
Dec. 12, 2013

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A new fire truck and its 95-foot ladder are slated to come rumbling into the Melbourne Fire Department early next year, though some city officials worry a proposal to accommodate the new rig might mean slower response times in some parts of the city.

At a cost just short of $1 million, the city council approved buying the Sutphen truck, which will have the department's longest ladder and a platform at the end. Fire officials say the rig will provide better access to tall buildings while the platform offers a safer and more stable work area for crews battling fires.